Nicholfe
BEAUTIFUL CORNER OF THE ONE-TIME CAPITAL OF FLANDERS

These quaint houses, rising from the water and overlooked by a graceful belfry, are in
Bruges, which is said to have been a city as long ago as the seventh century. Baldwin II,
Count of Flanders, fortified it and made it his home, and in the twelfth century it was the
capital of Flanders. In the fourteenth century, it regulated the rate of exchange in Europe.

of all countries unloaded their rich and
varied cargoes here, and often as many
as one hundred and fifty stately vessels
entered the dock in one day.

Every year thousands of visitors come
to visit wonderful Bruges to admire its
striking architecture and its priceless art
treasures. In its quaint old streets peas-
ants may be seen sitting at their doors
making beautiful and valuable lace, for
lace-making is one of the industries for
which the city is famed.

If we are at Bruges for the first Mon-
day after May 2, we shall be able to see
the celebrated yearly procession called the
procession of the "Holy Blood." This
magnificent religious ceremony always at-

tracts large numbers of pilgrims and
sightseers to the ancient Flemish city.
The object is to honor the Relic of the
Precious Blood shed on Calvary.

The relic was given in 1148 to the
Count of Flanders by his brother-in-law,
Baldwin III, King of Jerusalem. The
procession depicts episodes in the lives of
great saints and scenes from the Old and
New Testaments, then come the relic and
clergy, followed by bishops and civic au-
thorities in gorgeous robes. Some idea
of the magnificence of the spectacle may
be gathered from the fact that the pro-
cession lasts at least two hours and a half,
and the gorgeous costumes and banners
are of immense value.

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